Machine for leveling spring-heel shoes.



D. M. FRYE, JR.

MACHINE FOR LEVELING SPRING HEEL SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-29. 1915.

1 ,27 1,694. Patented July 9, 1918,

A I I I 819 15 A m 1 DANIEL M. FRYE, JR., 0F PHILADEEPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY QQLEQPQR/ATIQN, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY,

MACHINE FOR LEVELING SPRING-HEEL SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. F RYE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machines forLevcling Spring-Heel Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

The present invention relates to machines for leveling spring-heel shoes.

In the manufacture of spring-heel shoes,

as now commonly practised, the forepart and shank portions of the outersole are secured to the shoe by stitches, and the heel portion is then nailed to the. heel-seat. To give the desired rise or height to the heel, a heel blank or wedge is placed between the inner surface of the heel portion of the outersole and the heel seat, and the metallic fastenings or nails are then driven through the outersole and the wedge along the edge portions thereof and into the heel seat where they are usually clenched.

As the metallic fastenings or nails are driven into the heel, the lines of the crease, which define the space between the shoe upper and the edges of the wedge or outersole about the heel portion of the shoe, are liable to be distorted and made irregular by the action of the driving means which inserts thefastenings or nails at intervals. This irregularity in the lines of the crease is apparent along the edges of the wedge and outersole and while it is particularly pronounced in spring-heel shoes where the fastenings or nails are driven singl as by the loose nailer, it also manifests itself in springheels where the fastening or nails are driven in groups. A feature of the present invention, therefore, consists in a leveling means for spring-heel shoes wherein the top edge portions of the wedge and outersole about the heel portion of the shoes are supported by a substantially rigid member and subjected to a leveling pressure exerted by it and a tread surface leveling member to impart or restore to the edge portions of the wedge and outersole the straight and regular lines desired and an even surface to the tread face of the outersole.

A th reak 91 the h el Wh re the Outer sole passes over the tapering portion of the heel blank or wedge, difficulty is experienced in securing and maintaining during wear, a straight and sharply-defined incline leading from the tread surface of the heel to the shank. At this portion of the shoe one or more nails are usually driven through the outersole into the incline of the wedge at each side. During wear, however, as in walking, the shoe is constantly being bent at this point and the nails at the incline or corner nails, as they are commonly termed, are consequently subjected to great strain and stress inmaintaining the parts in established relation. It is important, therefore, that these nails at the corners or incline of the heel be securely fastened, and the present invention contemplates that during the leveling action these nails be securely clenched to the forward portion of the heel seat. Accordingly, the present embodiment of the invention provides an incline leading from the flat leveling surface of the heel leveling plate corresponding to the desired incline of the outersole at the break of the heel which acts upon the corner nails and insures a proper cleneh thereof to the heel seat during the leveling action.

Other features of the invention and novel combinations of parts comprised therein will be hereinafter described and defined by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the present invention, many of the parts being omitted for clearness of illustration and as unnecessary for a proper disclosure of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail showing the heel portion of a spring-heel shoe and the position of the leveling means during the leveling operation;

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the support for supporting the top edges of the wedge and outersole of a spring-heel shoe during the leveling operation;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective detail view of the leveling plate;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a spring-heel shoe after it has been treated in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a modified form cfleveli s P of the shoe andthe' exterior projecting edge of the Wedge and outer-sole about the heel,

portion of the shoe are supported While a leveli igpressure is exerted upon said parts by relative movement of. the pigessure mem- Such relative; movement of the presluzem bc is may be e te in r ous ways, either by a machine. especially designed. for this. purpose, or by any ofthe i vell-knoivn forms of machines for; acting uponthe heel: portions. of shoes, Whene'inthe shoe is subjected to pressure. In theliifi cr case a machine of known type may have applied. thereto: and'combined tllGIZQWith, the pressure members, of the present invention, and for the purpose of the present. exploitation of the, invention, a machine of the general character and organization of that described in- Letters Patent. of the IJnited States, No. 694,656, dated March 4,. 1902-, is illustrated. V

In, this machine the frame 11, only a portion of which. is. shown, supports the various parts. The nail, block head. 2 carries the nail: block 8, and is given reciprocating movement toward-andE from the jack 4; by means of the rods 5, the construction. being such that. a shoe placed upon the-jack Will besubjected. to pressurebetween said jack and nail block When said parts are relatively moved, all as ismore fully described in the before-mentioned patent to Which reference: may be had for a detailed description of the construction and. operation. of these parts.

At the rear of the jack 4 is the slide 6 in Which is mounted the bracket-7. The slide 6' is adjustable laterally by suitablemeans such as the handewheel 8 and toward. and from the front. of the machineby a hand- Wheel 9. to properly positionv thebracket. 7 and parts carried by it With relation to-the shoe, to be treated. The details of. these partsand others forming. features of the complete: machine .shoWn in the beforementioned patent, are not herein: illustratedand described, as such. details are Well understood: by those skilled in the art and. form no essential part of thepresent invention;

To support and straighten the projecting edge: ofthe. Wedge and outersole as the heel. portion of the shoe is. subjected: co-pressure-,.the.edge leveling means extends about theheeli portion of the-shoe andengagesthe top-1 ofzthe projecting edge of the Wedge .and toJ level the tread. surface of theheel portion of the outersole the. interior. of. the shoe top surface of the projecting edge of the Wedgei, Fhe means for supporting the interior. oftheshoe. may be a jack having a part to engage the inner surface of the innersole, or if the. springrheel shoe is to be leveled on the last, it maybe formed by the la tse f In the illustrated form of the invention, the. edge leveling. member comprises a twopart clamp. formed of the. portions 10- having inner surfaces 11: adapted to contact with the counter or: heel portion of the shoe uppe and ea h p ovided wi h sub tantially flat lower surfaces 12 to, extend into the .i

crease. and engage the. top of the exterior projecting portion of the edge 13 Which is interposed between the outer'sole-l i and theinnersole 15. i

The two parts 10 of the edgeflleveling member are carried by block 16,. from hich projectsa pin 17. The pin 17 passes through an adjusting. device 128 threaded into the-bracket 7i, substantially indicated in Figs. 1; andr2, andxfvhereby the edge level- 5 ing member may be appropriately adjusted toward and from the front of the machine for accommodating different kinds of shoes.

In order. that the edge leveling member may be adjusted'to the treatment of: shoes of difiierent'sizes and yet present a. substantially continuous flat leveling surface for engagingithe. top of the projecting portions of thewed ge, the portions 10 are pivotally connected to the block 16 asby means of the pivot stud 19,- and the adjoining edges of the portionsf10 are overlapped, as indicatedat20,fFig. 3. i i f Extending, laterally from the bracket 7 are the guideWays 21 in. Which. are mounted the arms The arms22 are connected by the links :23 to the portions 10 of thecdge leveling member, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1.

In order thatthe edge leveling member may be properly adjusted to different sizes of 3 shoes,- the arms 22 are connected by the right and left screw-threaded. adjusting; dc.-

vice 24 held between the end portions of thebracket 25 securedvto oneof the guideways 21- and provided With a hand:piece 26, theconstruction being; suclrthat upon manipulation ofrthe: handpiece .26 the right and left threaded device 24: may be turned to movethe arms-22-and,.perforce, the p or tions; 10 of the edgeleveling. member into proper Width relation to accommodate the particular shoe tobe treatedi I In theiillustrated. form of. the. invention,

the shoe is supported upon the jack 4 which, as hereinbefo're noted, may either be provided with means for engaging the last pin socket of the last' within the shoe, or beprovidedivith a part to engage the'inner surface of the inner-sole, according as the shoe is to be leveled on or off the last.

The tread surface levelingmember is provided with a suitable flat surface for engaging the heel portion of the outersole, the

construction being such that upon relative movement of'the said member and the opposed shoe supporting members toward each other, the edgeportionsflof the Wedge and 'outersole about the heel will be straightened by the substantially flat surfaces 12 of the edge leveling member and the tread surface at the heel portion of the outersole Will be flattened and made uniform.

Inthe illustrated form of the invention,

Where the leveling actionis to be performed v in the machine which drives the nails,the treadsurface leveling member comprises a plate27 vwhich may be pivotally mounted to theiiailblocl'head 2, as by the-pivot 28, and to lockthc tread surface leveling member in operating relation with the opposed members, said leveling plate-may be provided with an opening 29 for the reception of a pin 30, thee'onstruction being such that by withdrawal of the in 30, the tread'surface leveling member 2 may be turned to one side, away from position above the nail block, to permit the nails' to be driven, and after they havebee n driven, be returned to operative position to effectthe shoe leveling operation; i v j i The 1 tread surface-leveling member 27 is provided Withan inclined portion -31-adapt ed to contact with'the incline or break of the heel as the shoe is subjected to the level ing pressure, the construction being such that theincline 31 ofth'e treadsurface level ingplate straightens the incline and at the sametime'insu res that the corner nails 32 be properly clenched;

- In'order'that the projectingedge of the Wedge and outersole may be properly supportediduring the action of-the incline 31 upon the break of the'heel, the portions 10 of the edge "leveling member are extended forwardly to "or beyond the break of the heel, substantially "as indicated in F-igl, so that whenthe incline portion 31 acts upon the break of the" heel to insure proper clenching'of the corner nails 32, the wedge and eutersole-will be sustained against deflecting action and the lines of "these parts bestraightened and" leveled. 1 I I p "From the incline- 31, the tread-surface leveling member may extend'forwardly over .the shank of the shoe,-if desired, substantiallyto' the ball line. This feature' of the tread surface leveling member "-is indicated at 33, Fig. 4, the construction being such that while the projecting edge portions'of the wedge and outersole are straightened about the heel portion of the shoeand the corner nails at the, break of the heel are the nail driving operation While the substantially flat lower surface 12 of the edge leveling member may enter the crease about the heel ;of the shoe and maintain the lines 'of'the-"projecting edge of the wedge and outersolein proper position while the nails are being driven.

The tread surface leveling member is preferably formed as indicated in Fig. 4,

wherein the flat; surface for engaging the heel'tread portion of the outersole is formed by a transverse recess 34; formed in the top portion of the leveling member, but as indicatedjinFig. 6, this construction maybe varied, if desired, and the leveling plate be provided with a recess 35 and incline 36 and shank engaging portion 37, substantially in conformation with the general outlines of the spring-heel shoe to be leveled.

In operatioma spring-heel shoe, the heel portionof which has been previously se- -'cured to the heel seat by metallic fastenings or nails, is placed upon the jack or'inner support forthe shoe, the edge leveling memberis adjusted to extend into the crease about the 'heelportion of the shoe with the fiat surface of said memberbearing upon the topiof'the pirojecting'edge of thewedge, and the portions of'the shoe between the jack, the edge leveling member and the'tread leveling member,-are subjected to a leveling pressure which straightens the edge portions of the wedge and 'outersole, levels the tread surface of the outersole engaged by the tread surface leveling member, and clenches 7 thecornernalls to sec'urelyhold the parts in 'perm'anentrelat-ion. Where the nails are drivenin' thesame machine wherein the leveling'operation is effected, the shoe will have beenplace'd upon the ack and the edge leveling member have been placed in the described position-for the nail-driving operation, the tread surface leveling member at such'times being-swung to :one side. In

such-"machine, itiis only 'neeessary in order 60 tial continuity aboutwthe heel partof the to effect the described leveling operation and straightening the lines of the wedge and outersoleabout the heel fportion of the shoe,

' to swing the tread surface leveling member into operative relation with the jack and the edgeleveling member, an :l then subject the parts to levelingpressure.

What is claimed is V 1. In a machine for leveling spring heel .shoes the combination of a member having 7 shoe, said members being relativelymovable to subject the parts between them to; a leveling pressure to straightenthe-lines of the crease. after the spring heel has been secured to the shoe,

shoes after the sole and heel wedge have been secured thereto, the combination ,ofvopposed levelingpressure members, oneofsaid members adapted to engage the tread surface of the outersole, and the other of said pressuremembers, having-substantially fiat engaging portions for supporting the top surface of the wedge fromvthebottom of the creaseto J the edge of the wedge about the exterior of the heel'to flatten: the lines of the er-ease as fithe p arts between said members are subjectedto a leveling pressure.

' 3. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a pressuremember foren- '50 the'heel of theshoe, and straighten the lines gaging the interior of the heel portion of a spring heel-shoe, a leveling memberhaving a substantially flat; leveling surface for engaging and supportingthe top -portion of the wedge uniformly fromthe bottom of the crease to'the edge of, the wedge "about the 7 heel of the shoe, and aleveling plate for engaging the tread surface of. theoutersole about th'e heel of the shoeoppoSi-te-to said flat-surface, said levelingmembersand plate being, relatively movable to subject the spring heel between them to, a-leveling pressure to flatten the edge of the wedge about of thecrease after the spring heel has {been nailed to the shoe; I i c I A. In a machine of the class described, the

, oinbinationiof means vfor engaging the interior of aspring'heel shoe',;-means provided with a substantially flat surface for engaging the exterior top portion of the wedge from the bottom of the crease to-the edge of the wedge and extending with substanshoeto a point beyond the incline of the two means andleveling member being relatively movable for subjecting thespring heel between them to a leveling pressure to Straighten the edge of the wedgefrom the heel to. the incline of the wedge and level the ,tread surface ofthe outersole after the heel ;forlengaging thetread surface of the outersole below said flat surfaces, said counter clamp and leveling plate being: relatively movable for subjecting a spring heel between them to alevelingpressureto straightenthe projecting edges of the wedge and outersole about-the heel of the shoe and leveling the i c I tread surface of the outersole. 2. Ina machine for leveling spring heel 6,; In a machineof the class described, leveling means for a spring heel shoe, compris-' ing, in combination, counter clamping members havmg 1 at lower overlapplngsurfaces vfor uninterrupted engagement with the top end of the wed ge incline, means, for adjustingsaidcounter clamps and surfacesto accommodate springheel shoes of difierent sizes,and aleveling plate for engaging that portion ofthe tread surface of the outersole vwhich is below said flat surfaces when theshoe in leveling position, said counter clamp and leveling plate being relatively movable for subjecting a" spring heel betweenl them to a leveling pressure to straighten the projecting edges of the wedge and outersole about the heel of the shoe and leveling the tread surface of the outersole.

shoes after the sole and heel wedge have,

been secured thereto, the combination of a support for sustaining the interior of" the thebottom .of the crease tothe edge of the, "wedgeabout the heel ofthe shoe and to a .point beyond the incline of the wedge, and-a leveling plate for engaging the tread surface of thQyOlltGI'SQlG opposite saidvflatfsurface whenthe shoeis in leveling position.-

8, In amachine ofthe character described, the combination of a member having a sub- .stantiallyi flat surface to engage the top of V the wedge of a'spring heel. shoe, an opposed nailgblock, a leveling plate mounted for -movement to and fromoperative position over-the nail block and having a leveling portion opposed to thesaid flat surface when in operative position,i-.and means .for locki-ng 7 Ina machine forleveling springheel the leveling plate in operative position, said member and leveling plate being relatively movable for subjecting a spring heel between them to a leveling pressure to straighten the lines of the crease.

9. In a machine of the class described, spring heel leveling means, comprising, in combination, clamps for engaging the counter of the shoe, means for adjusting the clamps for shoes of difi'erent size, said clamps having overlapping portions to providea continuous engaging leveling surface for the top of the wedge projecting about the heel of the shoe, and a leveling plate for engaging the tread surface of the outersole below said engaging surface for straightening the lines of the crease as said clamps and leveling plate are relatively moved after the heel has been attached to the shoe.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a member having a surface to engage the top of the wedge projecting about the heel of a spring heel shoe, a leveling plate pivotally mounted to swing to and from opposed relation with respect to said surface, and means for locking the levcling plate in operative position, said memher and plate being relatively movable for subjecting a spring heel between them to pressure to straighten the lines of the crease.

11. In a machine for nailing and leveling the heel portions of spring heel shoes, the combination of a nail block and opposed pressure member, a spring heel leveling plate mounted for movement to and from operative position over the nail block and having an inclined portion opposed to the break of the heel when in operative position, and an edge supporting member in opposed relation to the nail block and having a substantially flat surface opposite pressure exerting portions of the leveling plate when in operative position and extending about the heel to a point beyond the incline of the wedge to di rectly support the edge of the wedge throughout its contour and a portion of the edge of the outersole beyond the incline of the wedge when the leveling pressure is applied.

12. In a machine for leveling the heel portions of spring heel shoes after the fastenings have been driven, the combination of a nail block, an opposed pressure member having a substantially flat surface for engaging the edge portion of the wedge and extending to a point beyond the incline of the wedge, and a leveling plate having a portion opposed to the flat surfaces of the pressure member to subject the projecting edge of the wedge and sole to a leveling pressure and mounted to swing to and from operative position over the nail block, said leveling plate having an inclined portion opposed to the break of the heel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DANIEL M. FRYE, JR.

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

